The Aspen Fire Protection District and the fire department will hold a service today at 9 a.m. in front of the fire house on Hopkins Avenue to remember the 19 fallen firefighters who lost their lives this week in Prescott, Ariz.

The local fire department also will conduct a “boot drive” all day in front of the fire station to raise money for the families of the victims. Fire chief Rick Balentine said the department did a similar fundraising drive after Hurricane Katrina and raised $30,000.

Retail sales up 8 percent in May

Retail sales in the city of Aspen for May were up 8 percent from the same period in 2012, according to a consumption report released on Wednesday.

The industries posting the largest gains were automobiles, accommodations, general retail and luxury goods, which grew 49, 26, 25 and 21 percent, respectively. The industries with the largest declines were sports equipment, clothing and miscellaneous, which posted 21, 5 and 4 percent declines, respectively.

May generally accounts for between 3 and 4 percent of the entire year’s sales and collections. Through the first five months, taxable retail sales are up 6 percent from 2012.

May lodging tax collections were down 46 percent over collections from the same period in 2012. However, for the year, collections are up 4 percent.

Aspen’s portion of Pitkin County’s sales tax collections for April were down 15 percent from the same period in 2012. Year-to-date, county sales tax collections are up 9 percent from 2012.

Housing real estate transfer tax collections for June were down about 50 percent from 2012, as were Wheeler real estate transfer tax collections. Through the first half of the year, real estate transfer tax collections are down about 15 percent from 2012.

Crown family commits $10M to Aspen Institute fellowship

Aspen Skiing Co. owner, Chicago philanthropist and Aspen Institute Lifetime Trustee Lester Crown, along with his wife Renée Crown, have given $10 million on behalf of the family to Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship program.

One of the largest individual gifts in the Institute’s history, the gift will augment the endowment established to support the leadership initiative. The Henry Crown Fellowship Program was launched in 1997 and has inspired a dozen leadership initiatives drawing fellows from nearly 50 countries around the world.

This campaign — the largest the Institute has ever undertaken — has raised $45 million toward a goal of $75 million.

“Over the last 16 years the [Henry Crown Fellowship] program has grown in unimagined ways and with the graduation of every new class we are reminded that more resources are needed to support this wonderful program,” Crown said in a press release. “The fellowship will always need just a bit more in order to continue to provide quality seminars and alumni and regional gatherings. We hope that this gift will inspire others to support a program that is not only making a big impact, but in every way making a world of difference.”

Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson added, “Over the years we have benefited in countless ways from Lester’s wise counsel, thoughtful leadership and quiet generosity. He and Renée lead by example — in their philanthropy, in their tireless advocacy for the causes and organizations they support, and in their deep commitment to family. It is impossible to overstate what this gift will mean for the Henry Crown Fellowship Program, and for the Aspen Institute.”

The purpose of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program is to develop the next generation of community-spirited leaders. Using Aspen Institute’s method of text-based dialogue, the program aims to provide the tools and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership.